When you overhear ignorance and bigotry what do you do? I am right there with you. I would be in the person’s face decrying that ignorant, intolerant bigotry . . . except . . .

Hubbymoose and I both work for non-profit agencies. We are not in the higher paid positions and so must be careful how we tread among the ignorant, intolerant bigots who live among us. You know the ones I mean – the ones who rant and rave at the top of their lungs in a restaurant full of people.

Our hooves are tied. Speak out – tick the wrong person off – and watch our agencies suffer the backwash. We are not concerned about our jobs, you see. We are more concerned that what we might say would cause problems for our agencies.

I’m going to step back a few steps here and talk about “the” hotbutton issue in our small community: homeless people. They are commonly referred to simply as “the homeless” with air quotes and rolls of eyes. It’s as if the high and mighty folks who drive around in white escalades with their realty company logo proudly displayed do not believe there is such a thing as a homeless person.

This so-called fellow “human” ranted this morning about the agency hubbymoose works for – about the clients he serves – and the fact that they walk in town – through back ways and such. Oh, and someone she doesn’t approve of is parked in a parking lot somewhere. Couldn’t the person she was talking to do something about that. She had “made someone leave (another) lot.”

Seriously? If you want someone moved from a lot – and the “reason” is because of a tags issue or somewhat – then you call the local police and have THEM take care of the problem.

But when you talk disparagingly about your fellow human neighbors who have found themselves homeless . . . when you lump all of them into the same self-serving category – when you try to get other humans into your act – you are a BIGOT. And, really, you don’t know what you are talking about.

Each one of us could be one sickness, one accident, one loss away from losing everything. I don’t care who you voted for in the past – who you plan to vote for in the future – but you need to know the government cannot/will not fix this problem. WE HUMANS need to have the compassion and foresight to help our fellow humans. If we do not offer a hand up and a lift up with education and care and concern then WE are the less than group. We have shown a lack of compassion and love for our fellow humans.

We need to understand that it COULD be us. WE could be the next ones living out of our cars, dumpster diving for food, walking through the woods because we can’t afford fuel for our cars.

We need to remember whence we came. We are none of us going to take “it” with us when we go. We ALL have one commonality: we are all going to leave this earth. Like it or not – believe it or not – we are ALL going to face our Maker.

We could be the next person hubbymoose’s or my non-profit agency serves. WE need to fix the problem, not complain about it as if it didn’t matter.

I am so tired. And, just so it is understood . . . I will NEVER agree to have my house listed by this particular agent – or anyone who might work for her in the future.